Oil-switch



PATENTED FEB. 2, 1904.

W. H. COLE.

OIL SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1- N0 IODEL.

lllll l 0.. wnswnown o c PATENTED FEB. 2, 1904.

W. H. COLE.

OIL SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 N0 MODEL.

a M Z a M 4 n PATENTED FEB. 2, 1904.

W. H. COLE.

OIL SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHBET 3.

NO MODEL.

[711/67 wit-22mm if wag,

UNITED STATES Patented February 2, 1904..

PATENT OEEIcE.

WVILLIAM H. COLE, OF TVATERTOVVN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALFTO VVELLES E. HOLMES, OF WATERTOVVN, MASSACHUSETTS.

OIL-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 750,811, dated February2, 1904.

Application filed April 29, 1903.

T0 'aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. COLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at WVatertown, in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Oil-Switches, of whichthe following description,in connection with the accompanying drawings,is a specification, like numerals on the drawings representing likeparts.

This invention relates to an oil switchthat is, a switch used forhigh-tension currents and in which the contacts are made and broken in abody of oil to prevent undue sparking.

The novel features wherein the invention resides will be hereinaftermore fully described and then recited in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved switch withthe cover removed. Fig. 2 is a section on the line :0 a, Fig. 3; andFig. 8 is a vertical section of the switch at right angles to Fig.2.Figs. 4 and 5 are details.

The oil-casing in which the contacts are inclosed is designated by 3,and it has a suitable cover 4, which closes the casing water-tight. Asherein illustrated, said casing is provided with the packing or gasket5, which engages the upper edges of the sides of the casing, and saidcover is held in place by suitable clamping-bolts 6, which pass throughflanges 7 on the cover and easing, respectively. Extending across thecasing near its upper edge is a rock-shaft 8, from which depend theswinging switch blades or knives. These blades are herein illustrated asarranged in pairs, and in the form of the invention herein shown I haveillustrated two such pairs. The blades 9 and 9 constitute one pair, and9 9 constitute another pair. The two blades of any pair are electricallyconnected together, but are insulated from the blades of the other pair.This is accomplished by suspending the blades of any one pair from asupport 10, of insulating material-such, for instance, as woodwhichsupport is rigidly secured to the shaft 8. The filling-block 11 betweenthe blades of any pair is of a material to furnish proper electricalconnection between said blades. Each blade works in an oil-chamber.

Serial No. 154,813. (No model.)

The swinging switch-blades cooperate with stationary contacts in theform of clips or jaws, and in this form of my invention there are twosuch jaws or clip-contacts for each switch-blade. These clip-contacts orterminals are designated by 12 12 12 12 and 13 13 13 13, respectively.These stationary terminals or contacts are arranged on opposite sides ofthe switch-blades, so that the latter can be closed into the stationarycontacts of one series or the other, as desired. These stationaryterminals or jaw-contacts are supported upon a suitable framework, whichis suspended, from the upper end of the casing, as will be presentlydescribed. This framework comprises a box-like structure having thebottom 15 and side walls 16 and end walls 17. Extending across thebottom are two cross-pieces 1 1, to which the jaws of the contacts aresecured in any suitable way, as .by screws 15. Rising from each end ofthe framework is a supporting rod or hanger 18, each of which extendsthrough and is secured to a suitable eye 19, which in turn is supportedby a cross-piece 20. The crosspiece 20 is of wood or some otherinsulating material and is rigidly secured to the casing in any suitableway, as by screws 21.

The framework above described is also of some suitable insulatingmaterial, preferably of wood, so thateach jaw-contact is insulated fromevery other jaw or clip contact.

Each contact has a wire 21 electrically connected thereto, said wireextending through the protecting-tube 22, of some suitable insulatingmaterial, and passing out through a bushing 23, of porcelain or someother suitable insulating material, in the side of the casing.

The shaft 8 extends through the side of the casing and has pivoted toone end thereof an operating lever or crank 30, said crank beingnormally held in the position shown in Fig. 2 by some suitable means,such as a spring 31. Secured to the side of the casing is a quadrant 32,having a central notch 33, and the crank 30 is provided with a pawl orprojection 341, which is adapted to engage said notch and by so doinglock the switch-blades in their central position.

In operating the switch the handle 30 has to be first swung about itspivot and drawn away from the casing to release the projection 34 fromthe notch, after which the crank may be turned in whichever directiondesired.

In opening the switch it is merely necessary to swing the crank so as todisengage the switch-blades from the contacts, and as the hand-crankturns the spring 31 automatically causes the engagement of theprojection with the notch 33 when the blades reach their centralposition. This method of connecting the crank 30 to the shaft is onefeature of my present improvement.

In order to protect the crank and the locking device from the weather,the cover 4: is shown as being provided with a protectinghood 36, whichcovers the projecting end of the shaft 8.

It is understood, of course, that the casing 3 is filled with oil to aconsiderable distance above the contacts 12 and 13.

One of the objections to the present oilswitches is the fact that theoil works its way by capillary attraction along the lead-wires, eitheralong the capillary ducts in the insulation or along the spaces existingbetween the strands of the wires, thus making a constant leakage whichdrains the oil from the casing and also causes a disagreeable drip.

Another feature of my invention relates to a means to effectivelyprevent the above operation, and in the best form of my invention nowknown to mcI accomplish this by removing the insulating material fromthe leadwires for a portion of their length immediately adjacent thebushing on the inside of the casing and opening up the strands of thewire and embedding said strands in a body of concrete or cement orsimilar material, which is preferably an insulating material. Forconveniently accomplishing this I have herein illustrated my casing ashaving at its ends the overhanging portion L0, which forms, with thecross-pieces 20, cement-receiving chambers or grooves through the bottomof which the bushings 23 extend.

The portion of each terminal wire 41 immediately adjacent the inner endof the bushing 23 is stripped of its insulating material and the strandsopened, as shown at 50 in Fig. 3, and subsequently a body of cement 51is poured around the naked wire, so that the individual strands are eachembedded in this cement. This construction places a substantiallynon-porous barrier across any and all capillary ducts or passage-wayswhich exist either in the wire itself or in the insulation, and thusprevents any oil working itself along the wire by capillary attraction.It is necessary, of course, that this barrier be of insulating material.In this form of the invention both the insulating-covering and the wireitself contain capillary ducts, and therefore I place this non-porousbarrier so as to in tercept all such ducts. My invention,however, can beused where the lead-wires are of any construction, and this feature ofmy invention consists, broadly, in placing inside of the casing anon-porous or impervious barrier across all the capillary paths in thelead-wires, so as to absolutely prevent any oil from working its wayalong the wires by capillary attraction.

For the perfect operation of this type of switches it is necessary thatthe jaws of any one terminal contact stand in planes exactly parallel tothe plane of the blade which cooperates with said contact, and theconstruction of my switch is such that when the parts are beingassembled the proper alinement of the jaws and switch-blade can readilybe secured.

It will be noted from Fig. 5 that each eye 19 is secured to thecorresponding cross-piecc 20 by three screws, one of which, 52, issituated centrally, while the others, 53, are situated at one side.

In assembling the parts the supportingframework for the stationary orclip contacts is set into the casing and the eyes 19 slipped over thesupporting-rods 18 and the screws 52 driven home to retain the eyes inapproximately their correct positions. Since, however, thesupporting-framework is suspended. on the two screws 52, it follows thatit can swing slightly about said screws as pivots. Thereafter the shaft8, with the switch-blades depending therefrom, is placed in position andsaid shaft turned to bring the blades between the jaws of the terminals.

If the jaws of the terminal contacts do not stand in exactly the sameplane as the switchblades, the movement of closing the switch operatesto swing the frame slightly about the screws 52 as pivots until the jawsand blades are properly alined, and when this has occurred the screws 52can be brought in place, thus permanently holding the framework in itsproper position and the collars 91 made fast to the shaft 8 to hold saidshaft from lateral movement.

I have found from practice that this method of alining the jaws andswitch-blades is simple and effective, and the construction whichpermits of this I consider as an important part of my invention.

I prefer to divide the space in which these switch-blades swing intoseparate chambers by suitable partitions 60, of insulating material,there being one chamber to receive each switch-blade.

The construction herein illustrated is what I have termed theunitsystem, each unit comprising two pairs of clip contacts and one pairof swinging switch blades-as, for instance, the pairs 12 12 and 13 13 ofclip-contacts and the pair of swinging switch-blades 9 9. In the form ofthe invention herein shown two units are employed; but it will beobvious that by making the chambers larger, adding another pair ofswitch-blades to the shaft 8 and two more corresponding pairs ofclip-contacts, another unit may be added to the system, and thisincrease of the number of units employed may be made to any desiredextent. The changing of the switch, therefore, from a one-unit-switch toa two, three, or four unit switch merely requires the addition ofcertain parts and does not require the alteration of the existing parts.It will be understood, of course, that the specific manner of wiring theswitch may be changed in various ways, according to the situation inwhich the switch is to be used.

While I have herein described one form in which my invention may beembodied, it will be understood that I have not attempted to show allforms in which it may be embodied,

and therefore reserve the right to make such changes in the structure ascome within the scope of the appended claims.

Some of the features of this invention obviously are not limited intheir use to oilswitches. For instance, the means for preventing the oilfrom working its way along the wires by capillary attraction could beapplied to transformers and similar devices in which an oil-casingcontaining coils or contacts were employed and through which casing thelead or terminal wires were extended.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In an oil-switch, an oil-containing casing, contacts therein,lead-wires extending through the casing and connected to certain of thecontacts, said wires each being formed of a plurality of strands andmeans to prevent the oil from working its way along each wire bycapillary attraction.

2. In an oil-switch, an oil-containing casing, switch-contacts thereinbelow the normal level of the oil, said casing having openings in itsside, a stranded insulated conductor passing through each opening andconnected to one of the contacts, and means on the inner wall of thecasing to prevent the oil from working its way along each conductor bycapillary attraction.

3. In an oil-switch, an oil-containing casing, contacts in said casingbelow the level of the oil, openings in the side of the casing, andterminal wires extending through said openings and connected to theswitch-contacts, the portion of each wire immediately inside of thecasing being stripped of its insulating-covering and buried in cement orsimilar material, whereby the oil is prevented from working its wayalong the wire by capillary attraction.

4L. In an oil-switch, an oil-containing casing, contacts in said casingbelow the level of the oil, openings through the side of the casing, andterminal wires extending through said openings and connected to thecontacts, the portion of the casing through which the wires pass beingformed to present a cement-receiving groove or pocket, and the portionof each wire extending through said pocket being stripped of itsinsulating material and cement or similar insulating material in thepocket which prevents the oil from working its way along the wire bycapillary attraction.

5. In an oil-switch, an oil-containing casing having at each end anoverhanging portion forming a cement-receiving pocket in the bottom ofwhich are openings to receive terminal wires, contacts in said casing,terminal wires extending through said openings and connecting the saidcontacts, the portions of the wires extending through the pockets beingstripped of insulating material, and cement in said pockets and in whichthe naked portion of the wire is embedded.

6. In an oil-switch, an oil-containing casing, a rock-shaft extendingacross the casing and having switch-blades depending therefrom, acontact for each blade, said contacts each having a pair of jaws betweenwhich the corresponding blade is received, an insulating-support for thecontacts, rods rising from said support, and eyes secured to the casingand in which said rods are clamped.

7. In an oil-switch, an oil-containing casing, jaw or clip contactstherein, a rock-shaft extending across the casing and havingswitchblades depending therefrom, a crank pivoted to the shaft on theoutside of said casing, a locking-quadrant having a locking-notch, aprojection on the crank to engage said notch and hold the switch open,and means tending normally to swing the projection into the notch.

8. In an oil-switch, an oil-containing casing, jaw or clip contactstherein, a rock-shaft supported by the casing and having switch-bladesdepending therefrom, a spring-pressed crank pivoted to the shaft on theoutside of the easing, a fixed quadrant having a locking-notch and aprojection on the crank to engage said notch.

9. In an oil-switch, an oil-containing casing, a framework of insulatingmaterial suspended from the upper portion thereof, a plurality ofopposed pairs of jaw or clip contacts supported on said framework, ashaft extended across the upper end of the casing, a correspondingnumber of pairs of switch-blades depending from said shaft andcooperating with the opposed pairs of contacts, a supporting-rod risingfrom each end of said framework, an eye through which each rod passesand to which it is clamped, and three screws securing each eye to thecasing, one screw being situated centrally of each eye, whereby bysecuring the eyes to the casing by the centrally-situated screws onlythe framework may be centeredv or alined by closing the switch-bladesinto the jaw-contacts prior to permanently securing the eyes in place.

I 10. An oil-containing casing, insulated conductors extending throughthe wall of the easing, and means to prevent the oil in the casing fromworking its way by capillary attraction along that portion of eachconductor extending through the casing.

11. An oil-containing casing, stranded conductors extending through thecasing and into the interior thereof, and a barrier of non-porousinsulating material disposed to intercept any and all capillary duetsextending along each conductor through which oil might leak by capillaryattraction.

12. An oil-containing casing, conductors extending through the walls andinto the interior thereof, and a non-porous barrier of insulatingmaterial situated inside of the casing and arranged to intercept any andall capillary ducts extending along each conductor through which oilmight leak by capillary attraction.

13. In an oil-switch, an oil-containing casing having at its endsoverhanging portions, conduetors extending vertically through the bottomof said portions into the casing, and a barrier of cement or similarinsulating material on said overhanging portions and through which theconductors pass, said barrier intercepting all capillary ducts extendinglongitudinally of each conductor.

1 In an oil-switch, an oil-containing easing, contacts therein,lead-wires extending through the casing and connected to the contacts,said wires having a porous insulating covering and a non-porous barrieron the interior of the casing and arranged to intercept all capillaryducts in the insulating-covering through which oil might escape byleakage.

15. In an oil-switch, an oil-containing casing, stationary contactstherein, a rock-shaft extending across the casing and through the sidesthereof and having switch-blades cooperating with the contacts, the endof the shaft projectingbeyond the casing, a crank on said projecting endof the shaft, and a cover sealing the casing, said cover having integraltherewith a hood to protect the projecting end of the shaft.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

\NILLIAM H. COLE Vitnesses:

LoUIs 0. SMITH, GEO. IV. GREGORY.

